One of the biggest mistakes in marketing is not having a target audience.

A trainer friend of mine chose to target everyone from students to senior executives for her workshop. It was a terrible mistake.

You either choose students, or senior executives; not both. There needs to be some level of homogeneity. This is even more important in an in-person event.

While choosing an audience, it is important to find an emotional connect. One of the groups that I target are business owners. The reason for that is because I’ve been a business owner most of my life, and I can be empathetic to their situation.

I also like to help people who want to become bloggers and make money from blogging because I’ve been doing it for many years.

While choosing an audience, find a group that you can connect with.

What are the other things that I look for in a target audience?

1. Do they have the money? Are they willing to pay for my services?
2. Are they already buying similar services? It’s easier to sell a sandwich to someone who’s already buying sandwiches rather than introduce and educate them about something new.
3. Do I have some sort of unfair advantage over my competition? It could be access to an audience, or some special skill that only me and my organization has.

Remember, these are only guidelines. You can be a little bit innovative and break the rules now and then, but initially it’s important to learn the rules of the game.

Conclusion

Knowing your target audience, their deepest desires, problems, and finding solutions is going to separate you from the rest of the pack. Coaching is a fun business, and impacting people’s lives can be very rewarding.